1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a recording and/or reproducing method and particularly relates to a recording and/or reproducing method suitable for application to a tape recorder utilizing a so-called compact cassette.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When an audio signal is recorded on a magnetic tape by, for example, a tape recorder, it is sometimes necessary to record memo data such as the date and place of such recording or the like together with the audio signal. Therefore, in a recording and/or reproducing method utilizing a monaural magnetic head, a magnetic tape is arranged to provide a particular area before and after the area in which the audio signal is recorded, and the above-mentioned data is recorded in such particular areas.
According to this previously-proposed method, upon reproducing, an undesirable sound resulting from such data signal is reproduced before and after the audio signal. Such data sound is the same as noise from an auditory sense standpoint, which is very unpleasant for the listener.
On the other hand, another proposal is made, in which a monaural audio signal is recorded in a first channel and a data signal is recorded in a second channel by using a so-called stereo-head. According to this proposal, by audibly reproducing only the audio signal from the first channel, it is possible to avoid reproducing such an unpleasant sound.
However, when such a two channel recorded magnetic tape is reproduced by a tape recorder utilizing a monaural head instead of a stereo head, the signals in the first and second channels are added and then reproduced, whereby real sound and data sound are reproduced in a mixed state. It becomes very difficult to listen to only the sound of the audio signal. In other words, the aforementioned two channel recording method is not compatible with other tape recorders utilizing a monaural head.
In order to remove these defects, the following proposal is made:
Upon recording, one portion of the band of an audio signal is removed by a filter and a data signal is recorded in the removed band. Also in accordance with this proposal, when the thus recorded magnetic tape is reproduced by another reproducing apparatus, data sound is inevitably mixed into the audio sound. In order to arrange the data sound to have the proper amplitude level and band so that the listener is not perplexed by an unpleasant sound, some special circuit arrangement must be provided to record and/or reproduce the data signal, which makes the apparatus very expensive.